A Taiwanese chat show hit in Mainland China: Kangxi Coming and the rhetoric and politics of private life and body

Taiwanese entertainment shows are noted for their vulgar and erotic features that are replete with body contact, pornographic rhetoric and sexual connotations. Taking Kangxi Coming as a typical example, this paper examines how the sensual and perverse relationships between the Taiwanese public and political leaders, and between commoners and celebrities have opened the eyes of mainland spectators, enlightening them that there exists this kind of casual, relaxed and sometimes even disrespectful attitude of the general public towards their political leaders and their idols which is unimaginable in the mainland region. This unexpected finding reveals to the mainlander what a democratic society looks like; and also that a recreational program can be both informative and political, and entertaining. Kangxi Coming is a typical example of a Taiwanese entertainment show and it is a very popular chat show hosted by Little S and Cai Kongyong. Its arrival on the mainland via network video sites not only heralds a new pattern for entertainment shows, but also teaches a lesson to the austere, solemn, and rule-abiding mainland amusement programs, that the more a show becomes transparent and 'democratic', the more successful it will become and the larger audience it will attract.